Top Judiciary Democrat: Vote to confirm Barr hinges on commitment to release final Mueller report
WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee's ranking Democrat signaled Wednesday that she would vote to confirm William Barr as attorney general if the nominee provided greater assurances that he would make public the final report of Russia special counsel Robert Mueller.
A day after Barr promised the committee that he would allow the special counsel to complete his investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, Feinstein said that she had become increasingly "concerned" about whether the nominee would be willing to share Mueller's work in full.
Feinstein, during the second day of Senate confirmation hearings, characterized Barr's daylong testimony as "good" overall. But she said that his commitment to make Mueller's final conclusions public became more "confusing" as the day wore on, at one point indicating that any report submitted to the Justice Department at the end of the inquiry would be confidential.
"This is a big report," Feinstein said. "I don't think there should be very much redaction at all. My vote depends on that." Because Republicans control the Senate, Barr is likely to be confirmed, though the top Democrat's consideration of the nomination represented a departure in a deeply polarized political environment.
More: Top 5 moments from first day of William Barr's confirmation hearing for attorney general
Feinstein's remarks came as civil rights advocates and former Justice Department officials sparred over Barr's nomination.
Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who served in the administration of President George W. Bush, told the Senate panel that he knew of no other nominee for the post with Barr's credentials.
"He has done everything you can possibly do," Mukasey said, citing Barr's previous stint as attorney general during President George H.W. Bush's administration.
Mukasey, however, was quickly followed by Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP who called for the Senate to reject Barr's nomination, asserting that the nominee represented a threat to erode civil and human rights laws.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top Judiciary Democrat: Vote to confirm Barr hinges on commitment to release final Mueller report
